Plan Your Career Break!
- Posted In : 2020-Oct-27
“There is a virtue in work and virtue in the break. Use both and overlook neither.”
Taking a break can be liberating but equally unnerving.
For all our female heroes who are taking time off of work but planning to come back with a bang. We are here to provide you a rough roadmap as to how to plan one’s sabbatical leave sprucely and strategically. Even superheroes need to rest, don’t be too hard on yourself.
BE ENGAGED AT ALL TIMES
Do a home-based or part-time job that inspires you. You can easily spare an hour or two from your day and dedicate it to your side hustle. Don’t let less salary be a differentiator, do the job to invest your time productively and upskill.
Doing a job even during your leave will help you stay at par with the ongoing work culture. Ensuring you do not have to start from the bottom all over.
DO WHAT INTRIGUES YOU
Even if you don’t get a relevant job of your interest do not get disheartened. You could always pursue your passions that you couldn’t exercise back in the day because of your hectic domestic and professional life.
Teaching: If you always had a knack for teaching but never had the time to follow up, now is the moment. Along with imparting knowledge to students, teaching also opens up the mind of the educator, expanding their horizons and knowledge base.
Community service: Support and work with NGOs who work for the cause you feel connected with. Working for a cause will fill you with compassion and self-worthiness.
LEVEL UP YOUR SKILLS
It is very prime to advance at every step in this fast-paced world because if you don’t, you will be left off far behind in this rat race. Do not misuse your spare time sitting at home doing nothing.
Focus on building your soft skills such as effective communication, negotiation, presentation.
In the upcoming digital age, it is a prerequisite to be geared with knowledge and skills which will be required by the organizations.
PRIORITIZE TIME FOR YOURSELF - "ME" TIME
Self-care is the best care. Use these moments of a break to feel happy and relaxed, don’t crib and possess guilt.
We all are well aware of how demotivating a career break could be. For women to lose their financial independence can be a direct attack on their self-worth. It strips you of your confidence making you feel like a waste of space, but guess what? It is okay to take a break for your personal pursuits.
Indulge in active sports like yoga, Zumba, and swimming that keep you fit and rejuvenate your mind.
It is very important that in these times of uncertainty you go easy on yourself and make out time for what you really love doing.
FOSTER AND NURTURE YOUR NETWORK - MAKE IT YOUR NETWORTH
Do not go MIA (Missing In Action), remember networking will keep you in the public eye even in your absence. And we all know how the saying goes out of sight, out of mind. Meetup with your friends from time to time, schedule parties and meetings, constantly attempt at expanding your social circle. This will help you meet and connect with the right people
Tell them, let them be aware that you are going to hit back with even more gusto than before.
BUILD UP STRONG ONLINE PRESENCE - LINKEDIN
The majority of prospective employers will search for your online profile. Make sure you have invested strong enough in your personal branding. LinkedIn is an online portal used for professional networking. It is used by both employers looking for a workforce, posting job posts, and employees looking for jobs posting their skills and CVs. Be active on Linkedin as there is a lot beyond just having a profile. Having a profile and still not active will not be a strong resource. Spend some time daily if not daily then once a week, be active, like, comment on the post which resonates well with you, put your thoughts on the platform, network with your colleagues, build up a new network, look for organizations who are hiring women from a career break, look for some project work which can be resourceful for you or it can also help you have some consultancy assignments. There are a lot of learning courses - it will help you to upgrade yourself. It’s important to make an investment of TIME on your personal branding, nurturing your network so that it helps your returning easy.
Let employers know that you are going to bounce back soon.
Transform your career break from a bane to a blessing by planning it accurately and precisely. Planning in advance is of paramount importance as it helps you not lose the vision of your goals.
But, definitely, it takes immense courage to leave a successful career and dive into the ocean of uncertainty.
YOU ARE AND WILL ALWAYS BE WORTH IT.
That last page turned is a perfect excuse to write a whole new book.
Author :
Passionate about exploring new world, knack for reading books, genre no bar. Intrigued by the smallest of things. Live by the statement “small steps everyday”
___________________________________________________________________________
We here at Her Career foundation aim to Empower Women. We deliver programs that contribute to personal and professional development.We understand you and stand strong with you.
“By empowering women, we empower the nation.”
Visit us at: www.hercareerfoundation.org
#hercareerfoundation #careerbreak #sabbatical #restartyourcareer #empoweringwomen #empowerment #planyourcareerbreak
.